Democrat Alisa Simmons will face Republican Andy Nguyen for Precinct 2 Tarrant commissioner
Arlington NAACP President Alisa Simmons is advancing in the Precinct 2 county commissioner race, according to unofficial results released by Tarrant County early Wednesday morning.
Due to equipment failures, results from Election Day voting weren’t released until 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Simmons had 52.68% of the vote with all 191 vote centers reporting. Her rival, Arlington city council member Ruby Faye Woolridge, had 47.32%.
Simmons will face sole Republican candidate Andy Nguyen, who held the position from 2010 to 2018.
The general election will test the seat’s fate as newly Democratic after Tarrant County Commissioner Devan Allen flipped it blue in 2018; it had been held by Republicans since 1985.
Allen in November announced she wouldn’t seek reelection, citing bullying, disrespect and discrimination.
Both Woolridge and Simmons ran on similar platforms, emphasizing access to health care and affordable housing.
Campaigning between the two candidates, who were in the same sorority and attend the same church, had gotten ugly in the final month of campaigning.
In a February editorial interview with the Star-Telegram, Simmons accused Woolridge of seeking the position for the money. County commissioners make $180,000 a year. As a member of the Arlington City Council — -which, unlike the commissioner seat, is not a full-time position — Woolridge makes $2,400.
Woolridge denied the claim and said she thought Simmons was using what was said in confidence against her.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 7:17 PM.
